Am I Really Alone
by Raykaida
Summary: Tohru Honda has just been orphaned. All alone in the world will she be able to find a new family? Or will the burden of trying to free others from darkness be to much for her to bear? Story's better then the summary.TohruxYuki.AU.Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Fruits Basket fanfiction, the idea's been running around in my head for a while now and I finally got round to posting it

Hope you like it ^^

Review please, I always welcome constructive criticism as I always want to improve

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"Am I really alone.......?"

16 year old Tohru Honda sat beside her bedroom window, watching as the rain streamed down the glass blurring the view of the street outside.

Her mother had been dead for 6 months now, a mindless accident, a split second of time that changed Tohru's life forever leaving her an orphan, leaving her all alone.

~knock knock~

"Come in?"

"Tohru I need you to finish the laundry and start dinner, I have a yoga class to get to"

"Yes Aunt I will, right away"

The door closed abruptly. Tohru knew that her Aunt resented feeling forced into taking her in, giving a home to the daughter of her rebellious brother and his unusual wife. Tohru felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes, one of them breaking free to trickled unheeded down her face, her sorrow was threating to overwhelm her again. This home was so unlike the one she had shared with her mother. Although it had only been the two of them, her father having died from an illness when she was too young to really remember him, they had been happy, each of them pulling strength and light from the other growing together both as a family and as individuals. If she closed her eyes Tohru could see her mother's face on her eyelids. Dark red-orange hair swinging around her face, a face that was always smiling at Tohru, even when she was forced to work two jobs to support them the smile that Tohru loved so much was always there for her to see.

But now there was only darkness.

It was the day of Tohru's high school's school trip. The professor who was teaching them a short course in basic geology had arranged to take all the students to a nearby beach so that they could search for fossils, ammonites in particular, most of the students were hoping that they would be able to find their own tiny piece of prehistoric history. The coach pulled up at the beach and after a brief lecture from their professor about beach safety and the importance of always being aware of the tides the students were turned loose on the rocky beach. Tohru pulled the collar of her jacket more tightly around her neck, the wind that swept in from the sea was biting in it's intensity. She shivered and surveyed the scene around her carefully. The rest of her classmates had split off into groups of two and three and were walking slowly up and down the rocks, some of them searching more carefully then others.

"Aren't you going to start looking?" A voice came from behind her

Turning Tohru saw the geology professor standing behind her, hands in his pockets, the same careless smile on his face as he always wore. Professor Shigure Sohma was a mystery, young and handsome he walked around with an attitude that screamed (to Tohru at least) that he didn't really care if people took him seriously or not. Sometimes Tohru thought that he carried an air of......emptiness around with him.

"Oh um.....I'm going now"

Shigure watched the girl walk swiftly down to the shore line before slowly walking along it her eyes fixed firmly on the stretch of rock in front of her. He continued watching her closely for a few more minutes, he was fully aware that Tohru had seen through the shell he wore, that she had seen the loneliness that haunted him, it was his burden and his curse, to always remain alone until someone found a way to break through the stone heart that had him and the others locked up tightly. Pulling a packet of cigarettes out his jacket pocket he lit one and breathed in the smoke deeply his eyes still trained on the girl who was beginning to move out of his field of vision. Shigure knew about her home situation, that she had recently been orphaned and was now living with an aunt who if what he had heard was to be believed had no interest in her young niece. Part of him knew how unfair it was to her, to expect her to free him from his cage of darkness but he had no choice. Suddenly impatient with himself he dropped the cigarette on the floor, grinding it out with his heel. Soon he told himself, soon he and the others would know if she was the one, the one who would be able to break their curse.

Tohru continued down the beach, she could feel Professor Sohma's eyes on her, she didn't understand why he was taking such an interest in her, her grades were average to say the least and she really had no interest in geology, but still.....Professor Sohma had been very kind to her, a kindness that some would of taken for granted but Tohru, having none of it in her life for the last six months, appreciated greatly.

Something glinted in the corner of Tohru's eye. Turning towards the sea Tohru saw a small light blue stone mostly buried in the sand, everytime the light hit it it glittered, shades of blue and silver skittering over it's surface. Stepping over to it Tohru knelt down, her hand reaching for the small stone,

Watching her Shigure caught his breath sharply soon he would know, one way or another,

Tohru's fingers made contact with the stone, the first thought that crossed her mind was "It's warm" and then the world around her exploded into a rainbow of light and dark, like fireworks at a festival, and then everything went black.

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That's the first chapter I'll try and upload the next soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's Chapter 2.

I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer-I don't own these characters I'm just borrowing them for a while ^^

Please review- It makes me happy ^^

And on with the story :)

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Chapter 2

Darkness swirled around her before shattering in to a million tiny stars.

~Thud~

Tohru slowly began regaining consciousness. Something warm but rough was tickling her cheeks. Prising her eyes open she lifted her head slowly, instead of the sandy, stony beach she saw nothing but......grass. Sitting up she gazed around her in disbelief. The beach had vanished completely and in it's place was what seemed to be a meadow. Standing to one side of her there were strange, twistly trees that seemed to be guarding a path of sorts. On her other side was a raging river, the clear water rushing dangerously fast, the bright sun glinting off it. The meadow she was lying in the middle of seemed to stretch out endlessly both in front and behind her, the short grass interposed with scattered bunches on wild flowers. Looking more closely at the flower in front of her Tohru tried to identify it. It was a blinding brilliant blue that seemed to glow, it's stems were a rusty reddish colour and there were tiny thorny leaves running the stems length. Reaching out Tohru went to touch the delicate blossom when to her utter shock.....it moved! Tohru felt her jaw drop, the flower hadn't just bent with the wind, that she could understand, it had actually jumped away from her coming to rest a couple of feet away.

'This can't be real' Tohru told herself, feeling panic starting to build in her chest 'Flowers don't just move.....and where's the beach....and the rest of my class....what on earth is going on here?'. Standing up shakily Tohru twisted and turned, looking for some sign of life around her, but there was nothing, nothing but the whisper of the wind in the trees and the sounds of birds singing.....wait singing?......since when do birds make a "Hiii-rup" noise?.'It has to be a dream' she decided ' I must of slipped on the wet stones, hit my head and now I'm having the craziest dream of my life......if I pinch my self I'll wake up and everytihng will be normal again'

"Ouch!....Oww!.....ouch!"

Tohru stared down at the rapidly blooming bruises on the pale skin of her arm. She had pinched herself several times and nothing had happened. Which meant if she wan't waking up then this was.....real.

"Ahhhhhhh......"

Tohru felt hysteria grip her chest, cutting short her breaths and leaving her feeling light-headed. 'How could this possibly be real' she asked herself 'The last thing I remember is picking up that weird stone......' Remembering the stone Tohru's gaze dropped to her feet, seeing the glitter and sparkle of the strange blue-silver stone. Bending down she scooped it into her hands and stared at it. Just like she had noticed before it was warm, the colours shifting constantly as if it was alive, turning it over in her hand she noticed an imprint on one side. The pattern looked like a series of 13 stars surrounded by a circle. Something about it nagged at Tohru's memory, she was sure she had seen a pattern just like it somewhere. Closing her eyes she let her mind wander, suddenly a clear image popped into her head. The image of Professor Sohma standing in front of the class explaining how fossils were preserved over huge amounts of time, his fingers toying with the medallion he always wore, when his hand had dropped away to pick up the chalk to write on the blackboard Tohru had had a quick view of the medallion's face and the pattern that decorated it. A pattern that was exactly the same as the one impressed into this stone.

Tucking the stone into her pocket Tohru's mind filled with unanswered questions. "What was so special about this stone?......why did it have the same imprint as Professor Sohma's medallion?......was the Professor connected to this place?......why was she even here in the first place?......and where was here anyway? The questions twisted and turned in Tohru's mind making her feel even more confused then she already was.

"This is not helping" speaking out loud Tohru pushed the confusion from her mind. After glancing in every direction Tohru turned and began walking determindly towards the path leading through the trees. All she had to do was find someone to ask, maybe then she'd find a way home.

Dappled sunlight danced along the path in front of her. Tohru walked slowly along, her head twisting from side to side as she stared at the strange foliage surrounding her. Now that she was closer she could see that not only did the branches and trunks of the trees twist and gnarl they were......pink....definitely pink. Gaping at the strange colours Tohru kept walking, eventually the path widened into a small clearing, nestled into the trees on one side of the clearing was a small rundown temple. The paint was peeling off the walls, the small shuttered windows had been broken and the door stood ajar a great crack running through the middle of it, the wood splintered only the metal bands holding it together.

Moving over to it Tohru peeped in through the half open door. Wriggling carefully she slipped inside, blinking several times as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The temple looked as though it had been stripped. There was nothing inside, only the ragged remains of what Tohru decided must of been wall hangings, the bulk of them having been torn free and carried off. The altar was also empty, the bare wood showing signs of that not always being the case as the wood was darker in patches, as if something had been standing there and the sun had bleached the wood around it leaving only outlines behind. The temple seemed to hum with emptyness, something that Tohru could feel almost like a wound to the heart. This place had been loved once but now it stood alone, everything inside having been torn away leaving only a shell. As Tohru turned to leave a flicker of colour caught her eye. Looking towards it Tohru realised she had been wrong.....not everything was gone. Hanging on the wall was a large round plate. Engraved into the copper-coloured metal was a familiar pattern.....the same one that was impressed into the stone in her pocket and that Professor Sohma wore around his neck. Staring at it Tohru felt curiosity building, it seemed as if that pattern was some kind of key to what was happening to her.

Squirming slightly Tohru left the temple and moved into the sunshine beyond. Her mind deep in thought she didn't notice when two shadows fell across her.

"Well, well.....what do we have here?"


	3. Chapter 3

Here is chapter 3 at last.....I'm really sorry for the delay but my computer died, taking most of my notes with it and so it took a while to get this written.

I'll try and post the next chapter faster

Please Review....I'm always eager to know what people think about my work

Oh disclaimer I do not own these characters I'm just borrowing them

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Chapter 3

Tohru felt a chill race up her spine at the sound of the unexpected voice. Her back stiffened in shock and she clenched her hand around the stone, feeling the hard surface bite into the soft skin of her palm. Slowly she turned, her legs trembling in fear of what she would see. Behind her stood two women, one of the was taller almost 6 foot in height, her blond hair reached just past her shoulders at the back and fell over one eye in front, her visible light-coloured eye studied Tohru thoroughly and Tohru had an uneasy feeling that she was seeing more of Tohru then what was on the surface. She was dressed in mid-brown trousers, with a white shirt and a darker brown jacket over the top, as she shifted on her feet her jacket fell back slightly revealing the jewelled hilt of a dagger worn casually at her hip. The second woman was shorter and more delicately built, she had long hair, so dark it was almost black and large dark eyes in a narrow face. She was wearing a voluminous cloak the concealed most of her body, apart from the brief glimpses of leather and lace that was under the thick fabric.

Tohru stood perfectly still, now she had a chance to study the two women she noticed that they had to be pretty close to her own age, even with their obvious confidence and self-assurance they still wore the air of youth.

"Hey what are you doing here?"

"Umm…."

"Don't you know this place is cursed?"

"Uhh…cursed?"

"No way….you don't know about THAT clan and their curse?"

"Umm I'm not from around here…."

"Well I guess I can see that….what is up with the weird clothes?"

"Uo…..hold on a moment"

The dark haired girl spoke for the first time, breaking into her companions constant stream of questions.

"What is it Hana?"

"This girl….I'm sensing something very unusual about her"

Both girls looked Tohru over carefully,

"You mean about her clothes?"

"No….there's an energy about her that I have never sensed before"

"Hmm?…..Hey girl…..who are you?"

"I….My name's Tohru Honda….umm where am I?"

"You don't know?"

Tohru felt tears well up in her eyes at the disbelieving sound in the blonde's voice, she was tired, hungry and confused, she didn't have the faintest idea what was happening to her and fear was beginning to niggle in the pit of her stomach, overwhelming the sense of shock that she had been moving through up till now. The total disbelief she was being faced with right now was more then she could bear. Suddenly black swashes flashed in front of her tear-filled eyes and everything receeded into darkness.

"This girl…..I don't think she belongs here"

"What do you mean Hana"

"Well….it's as if her energy is out of place…..I think she's from another world"

"Another world?!….Hana do you know what you're saying…..other worlds as just a myth"

"No…..they aren't and it's the only way to explain what I'm feeling"

"Geez if you're right and she is……just think what HE would do to get his hands on her…..she'll have to stay with us….with any luck we can keep her hidden till we can send her back"

"Yes…..she has to be protected…..especially if she can fulfil the prophecy…..HE won't want to give up his power…..and she's an innocent"

Voices floated into Tohru's conciousness, her eyes flickering open she stared into a clear blue sky, her head was resting on something soft and smooth. Sitting up slowly she realised that she was laying on the blonde haired girl's jacket,

"So you're awake"

Turning her head Tohru found herself staring in to the jacket's owners light eye.

"How are you feeling?"

"Umm okay….what happened?"

"You fainted…..guess you had a really eventful day"

"Yes….."

"Can you tell us what happened?"

Tohru looked at the dark haired girl as she sat down on the grass beside her friend

"Well….I was at the beach with my class…."

"Class?"

"Mmm….we were on a school trip"

"School?"

"Shh Uo let her continue"

"Oh right….carry on"

"Well we were at the beach and we were meant to be looking for fossils…..I was walking along the shore when this glint of light caught my eye….it was this stone….and when I picked it up the world spun into a rainbow of colours…..and the next thing I knew I was laying in a field over there"

Tohru gestured briefly in the direction she had walked from and then looked back at her companions.

"Sounds like the stone was some kind of transportation catalyst"

"Hana?…."

"May I see this stone?"

Tohru hesitated for a second, part of her was surprisingly unwilling to hand the stone over to the other girl. The dark haired girl noticed her caution and smiled slightly

"I promise to give it back again"

Tohru nodded and placed the stone into the girl's outstretched hand. The dark haired girl studied the stone closely her fingers running slightly over the imprinted surface her brow wrinkling ever so slightly in recognition. Closing her hand around it firmly she closed her eyes, her whole body going perfectly still, after a few moments she opened her hand again and looked at the stone thoughtfully, Tohru shifted in the grass, her movement drawing the other girls attention back to her,

"Umm….why is it warm?"

"Warm?….the stone was warm when you touched it?"

"Well….yes….it still is…isn't it?"

The other two girls exchanged a look heavy with unspoken communication, then the dark haired girl lifted Tohru's hand and placed the stone in her palm, closing her fingers over the smooth surface

"Make sure you hold on to this….it's important"

"It is?….why?"

"I'm not sure right now I just have a very strong feeling that this stone is connected to your destiny"

"My destiny?"

"Yes"

Silence echoed in the clearing as Tohru tried to digest the girl's words

"Hey….I just realised that we never introduced ourselves"

Tohru looked up at the blonde haired girl as she stood, sweeping her jacket off the grass and putting it back on.

"I'm Arisa Uotani but you can call me Uo and my friend here is Saki Hanajima otherwise known as Hana….and you are?"

"Oh….I'm Tohru Honda….it's nice to meet you both"

"Then hi Tohru it's nice to meet you too….listen you should stick with us for a while….seeing as you don't know anyone else around here….we'll try and help you get home"

"Really?….you don't mind?"

"Of course not…..come on it's starting to get cold……lets go back to our camp and get something to eat I'm sure you'll feel a lot better with some food inside you"

"Oh…okay…thank-you"

Tohru climbed to her feet heading in the direction that Uo was gesturing in, she couldn't explain it but something deep inside her was telling her that she could trust these two girls, following them the trio headed back into the forest……none of them realising that they had been observed the entire time.

The rat ran quickly through the forest, bearing news for his master…..news that would change lives forever.


	4. Chapter 4

The newest chapter is finished ^^

It's a little short but that's because I'm setting up for the next chapter, things will start getting interesting soon;

Review please....I always like hearing what people think of my work ^^

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Chapter Four

The small grey rat raced through the undergrowth, passing branches and rocks with ease, his attention on his destination and the news he was about to deliver to his Master. Pausing for a few seconds on the banks of the fiercely rushing river he scampered down the water a little way, reaching a fallen branch that acted like a bridge for such small creatures as he and using his sharp claws to cling carefully to the splintering wood, scurried across, jumping down on the other side and plunging into the changing landscape.

The trees began to thin out, massive boulders and short, bristly shrubs beginning to dominate the landscape, tiny trails wound across the dull ground and picking one the rat raced along it, making his way uphill towards the huge structure resting at the top.

The castle-like structure spread down from the precipice of the hill, almost as if it was too big for the flat plain and was forced to cling to the surrounding slope. Made of light grey stone it gleamed dully in the late afternoon sunshine, but a feeling of coldness and complete isolation seemed to emanate from it. No birds sang in the trees around the building and no wildlife scurried through the grasses, it was as if nothing at all lived in such a place. Nothing that is except for the rats.

Scores of them roamed across the hillside, squeaks sounding as they fought each other for the scraps of food that could be found. Others sunbathed on the rocks, lying back and soaking up the warmth of the suns rays. More still just sat perfectly still, their beady eyes constantly watching the activity around them, missing nothing.

The grey rat ran past his brethren, ignoring the welcoming squeaks, intent on making his report. A small hole in one of the outer walls provided a way in and he wriggled through, popping out the other side and quickly scampered towards the isolated main building in the very centre of the sprawling courtyard, passing yet more rats as they hurried in and out of the main building gathering the information that their Master required.

Leaping up the wide shallow steps the grey rat passed the watchful guards and went inside. Rich fabric hung on the walls embroidered with elaborate scenes, an eagle as it swooped down to capture a rabbit, a tiger stalking it's prey, a spider sitting in a huge web waiting for it's next meal to come to it, a pack of wolves as they hunted on a moonlit night, a magnificent dragon as it bathed the sky in flames. All of them having one thing in common, the hunter and the prey. Past the fabric decorated hallway was a series of rooms all of them containing exquisite, priceless furniture and painting, but despite the beauty there was a feeling of loneliness, it was little more then a gilded prison.

In the last room the grey rat found the youth he had been searching for. The boy was sitting next to the closed window, staring blindly out of it his mind wandering to another place. This room was far more sober then the outer room, bookcases lined the walls and plainly upholstered furniture was dotted about the highly polished floor. The youth himself was also plainly dressed compared to the grandness of his surroundings. A long sleeved, high collared shirt was worn with dark green trousers and no kind of jewellery adorned his person. The grey rat sat at the youth's feet and squeaked three times shaking his Master out of his trance and focusing his attention on him. As the boy turned it became clear to anyone who looked at him why there was no need for fancy clothes or jewels, he was amazingly beautiful. Dark purple eyes gazed out of a delicately boned face, it's features sharp and deep grey hair brushed softly across his forehead before falling to just past his jaw in front while staying cropped at the back, his body was slender and his movements smooth and elegant. Reaching down the boy scooped the rat up in the palm of his hand, holding the small creature close to his face as he listened to the report.

The grey rat gave his news in a series of rapid squeaks, missing nothing out. The youth slumped back in his chair, his mouth falling open in shock as he struggled to process what he had just been told.

"You're sure?….There's no mistake?"

The rat shook his head squeaking furiously, lifting his free hand the boy petted the rat's head absently trying to soothe the annoyed creature.

"So she's arrived…..at last…."

The youth felt something strange spreading through his body starting at his heart and moving outwards. It took him a few moments to recognise the feeling……it was hope……for the first time in his 16 years or life there was more to look forward to then the endless loneliness and fear that he was usually forced to endure. Standing he let determination settle over him, now all he had to do was find the girl before HE did, find her and pray that she could end this wretched existence that he and the others like him were forced to live with, pray that she could break this curse.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone ^^ I hope that you are enjoying the story so far, here is the next installment :3

Disclaimer I don't own these characters I'm just borrowing them for a while

Warning - Well none really....unless you don't like rats if not then close your eyes now :D

Please leave me a review.....it makes me happy ^^

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Chapter Five

"This way Tohru…."

Tohru picked her way carefully through the undergrowth, following her new friends closely, the last thing she wanted to do was get separated from them especially as she still had no idea where she was or what she was supposed to do now she was here.

Uo glanced back over her shoulder, partly to make sure that Tohru was still following and partly to see if they were being pursued. Hana caught the wary look in her friend's eye and nodded, she had noticed their watchers as well, pausing for a moment Hana reached out and wrapped her fingers around Tohru's hand,

"We should hurry….we want to get back to our campsite before it gets any later"

Tohru nodded and began walking more quickly, Hana's fingers were warm and there was something comforting about being led by the hand to safety. Uo stopped and let her two companions pass her, staring into the forest she locked gazes with the beady, black eyes or a medium sized brown rat. The rat studied their direction carefully before slipping away and disappearing into the forest's dense undergrowth, vanishing from Uo's unwavering stare.

Reaching the edge of the forest the trio found themselves standing on the outskirts of a small village, skirting around the houses Hana led them down a tiny, dirt path, tucked away in a small hollowed out area of the forest was a small hut, at first glance it looked run down and abandoned but as Tohru got closer she could see that the hut had been carefully repairs, strong shutters guarded the windows and the door was heavy and solid. Stepping up to the front door Hana dug beneath her cape with her free hand and tugged out a heavy metal key. Placing the key in the lock Hana gave it a sharp twist and the door swung quietly open, pushing the wooden surface back completely Hana gestured to Tohru to proceed them inside. Taking a deep breath to steady her suddenly fluttering nerves Tohru stepped inside with Hana following closely behind her, with a last long look out over the forest Uo walked inside as well, pushing the door closed behind her and locking it securely.

The small, furry observer studied the hut carefully from his spot concealed in the bushes, taking careful note of the location so that he could report back to his Master.

Dressed simply in dull coloured clothing the youth walked quickly down the corridor of the castle, turning the corner he walked up to what looked like a plain wall. Stretching out his hand he ran his fingers carefully over the smooth, cool stones until finally his questing digits connected with the hidden indentation he had been looking for,

"_See here Yuki?…..this is a secret way out of the castle…..all you need to do is follow the passage behind this stone and it'll take you out half way down the mountain…..past the eyes of the guards……"_

"_Huh?…..Shigure why are you telling me this?…."_

"_Because Yuki there will come a day when you'll need to be able to leave this castle……to escape and seek your destiny……"_

His cousin's words from years before sounded clear as a bell from deep inside his buried memory, drawing in a calming breath he pressed firmly on the indents in the sequence Shigure had taught him so long ago, a quiet rumble echoed through the hall and the youth stepped back as the stone slid to the side, revealing a darkened passage way. Slipping through the gap Yuki started down the tunnel, the stone sliding back to it's original position, hiding all evidence of the youth's departure.

Tohru sat as close to the small, brightly burning fire as she could, letting it's heat seep into her tired body and warm her down to the bone. Uo watched from her spot beside the window as Hana stood and went over to the fire, lifting the lid of the pot bubbling there and stirring the contents slowly, letting the delicious smells waft through the cosy room. Glancing around Tohru took in all the details of her surroundings, the room was about twice the size as Tohru's small bedroom, pushed back against the far wall, away from the window were a pair of twin beds, piled high with thick blankets, under the window was a shabby couch where Uo was sitting. The room was dominated by the large fireplace, where the cooking fire was burning and where Tohru was sitting, cupboards lined the walls and odds and ends were piled neatly in corners.

"Is this your home?"

"One of them…..Hana and I move around a lot……but this is usually where we come back to in the end"

"How come you don't live here all the time?"

"Our work takes us away, we're traders…..we travel around collecting unusual objects and them we travel more to find buyers for them"

"It sounds pretty interesting"

"Well…..you definitely meet your share of people that's for sure"

"But it must be nice…….having a home to come back to I mean"

"Yeah it is"

Uo stared at Tohru's down bent head

……_poor kid…..she's so far from home…..she must be lonely……._

"You'll see your home again…..I'm sure of it"

"Mmm…..I guess"

"Dinner's ready"

The two girls looked up at their dark-haired companion's words, Hana lifted a stack of bowls from their place beside the fire and began ladling out the thick, meaty stew, Tohru spooned up a mouthful of stew and smiled at the delicious taste, as well as the meat it was seasoned with herbs along with chunkily cut vegetables.

The trio ate in a companionable silence, the only sounds being the scrape of metal spoons against the wood of the bowls as the hungry girls eagerly ate the simple meal. Taking the bowl from Tohru's hands Hana shooed her towards one of the beds, pulling down the covers so that she could slip inside, a few seconds after her head hit the pillow Tohru was sound asleep.

The mountain path was rough and Yuki found himself forced to walk more slowly then he would like, gritting his teeth and listening carefully for any sound behind him that would signify pursuers he followed after the small brown rat. Reaching the bottom of the slope he plunged into the forest, letting the thick foliage mask his departure from any eyes from the castle.

"This has gotta be tough on her"

"Uo….we're being watched aren't we?"

"Yeah…..I spotted rats in the forest"

"That may mean nothing"

"I don't think so…..this rat was following us"

"Ah….that means that the Prince knows about Tohru"

"Yeah…..I'm trying to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing"

"It's better then HIM knowing"

"That's true……but we can't be sure he doesn't……after all it's said that HE keeps the Prince under constant supervision"

"Hmm……I wonder what's going to happen…..it might be better if we moved on in the morning"

"Yes…..I agree"

"You should get some sleep Hana……I'll take the first watch……and tomorrow we'll head for the city…..Tohru will be harder to find in a crowd"

"Yes……wake me in a few hours…..you need sleep as well"

"Alright"

Uo watched as her black-haired friend walked towards the other bed and climbed in, pulling the covers up over her head. Smirking slightly Uo settled back against the window, her gaze searching the darkening forest through the slats in the shutters, so far all was quiet but the young woman had a feeling the peace wouldn't last for very long, sooner or later someone would come for Tohru and it was better if they were far away from this place when that happened.

Yuki raced through the shadowed forest, his entire being focused on finding the girl his rats had told him about, finding her and hoping that he was one step ahead of the others who would be looking for her as well, picking up speed the youth ran through the twisting trees as if he had wings on his feet, his faithful rats hot on his heels.

"So a girl has arrived from another world…..and Yuki has disappeared from the castle…..this is an interesting turn of events"

Leaning back against the plush pillows of the chaise longue the dark-haired figure swirled the wine-red liquid around the bowl of his glass, staring coldly out of the dark, night sky.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally I have got around to updating this story. I hadn't forgotten about it honestly, I just got a bit caught up in a dozen of other things.

Disclaimer - I don't own the characters.....I'll give them back honestly.

Warnings - Uh....none really.

Now....on with the story ^^

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**Chapter Six**

"This way Tohru…..stay close to us now"

Tohru stared around herself in wonder. They were walking through the middle of the most amazing marketplace she had ever seen in her life. Stalls rose up on either side of the narrow road, piled high with incredible goods. Fabrics that shimmered beautifully in the light, jewellery, darkened by age but still glowing with their own precious light. The scents of strange and wonderful food filled her nose and made her stomach rumble in appreciation.

Hana glanced over her shoulder at the other girl and a small smile crossed her lips, only to disappear before anyone else noticed it. The shadows that haunted Tohru's eyes were still there but now, after a good meal and a nights rest they had been muted.

Uo flipped her own glance towards the girl before turning her attention back to the crowds of people that were jostling past them, buying goods or just browsing for trinkets and treasures. The noise of their cheerful chatter filled her ears and it took extra concentration for her to block the background noise out and focus on anyone that could be acting strangely or was paying more attention to Tohru then Uo felt comfortable with.

Shadows darted past the doorways, unnoticed by the tall girl. Uo felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck tremble in warning. They were being watched, her hand slid beneath her voluminous cloak and gripped the handle of the dagger tucked into her belt in reassurance. Looking back over her shoulder she met Hana's eyes and gestured soundlessly for the other two girls to follow her quickly.

The black-haired girl tucked her hand under Tohru's arm and began guiding her swiftly towards one of the partially concealed alleyways that were dotted between the stalls, close on Uo's heels. The trio disappeared under the archway and Tohru was surprised when the noise level dropped considerably along with the surrounding sunlight. Dark patches of shadow nudged at her feet as she hurried along after her new friends. Uncertainty churned in the depths of her stomach and she felt apprehension threaten to overwhelm her. Uo pointed to a door a little way ahead of them.

"This is where we're meeting our contact"

"Contact?"

"Yeah….we need to stay on the move and what better way to do that then with an actual job. We've been hired to take a wedding gift to one of the border villages."

"Wedding gift?"

"Yes….apparently it's a family heirloom"

The trio walked up to the door, with Uo in the lead they pushed the door open and entered the dim room beyond.

Yuki ran, he ran until the air burned in his lungs, until the exertion threatened to bring him panting to his knees. Slowing down to a brisk walk he took several deep breaths hoping that it would be enough to calm his frantically beating heart.

Nerves thrummed through his blood. If everything he had been told was true then soon he could come face to face with the one person who could break him as well as the rest of his family, free from the chains of darkness that were forcing them deeper and deeper into the shadow.

Pausing as his rats scurried around his feet his listened carefully to the fragments of information that they had to offer him. Carefully he pieced it all together his clever mind immediately turning the problem over and over in his head, looking at it from all angles until he found the best way to approach. Changing his heading slightly he began walking again. Through the occasional breaks in the trees he caught glimpses of a village up ahead, as the sounds of a busy marketplace filtered back to his sensitive ears.

Tohru stared around the dimly-lit room. Small tables were dotted around the large room and a large bar stood to one side its surface crowded with various glasses of all shapes and sizes. A huge bear of a man was standing behind the bar his arms folded across his chest, his eyes constantly scanning the room. Turning back to the man sitting at the table with the three girls, Tohru studied him carefully.

Even though he was sitting down she could tell that he was tall, just over six foot at least. Dark golden eyes looked out of a handsome face, his hair was a deep, dark brown and virtually covered his eye completely on his left side. He was dressed, much as they were in a long cloak that completely covered his body leaving only his hands free.

"So what exactly do you want us to deliver?"

Tohru watched Uo out of the corner of her eye as she leaned forward fractionally studying the man sitting quietly opposite them.

"This…."

The man slid a carefully wrapped parcel towards them. It was about the size of a small book and completely covered in thick brown paper, tied with several strips of jet-black ribbon.

"A cousin of mine is getting married and I'd like you to take this to him before the wedding"

"Alright….now about the payment…."

"I'll give you half now and my cousin will give you the other half when he receives the item"

"That sounds reasonable…..when's the delivery date?"

"You have two weeks"

"That's plenty of time then…..why so long?"

"I'd like to make sure it's there before the wedding with no chance of it being late…..it's very important to Ayame"

"Alright then"

"Here's your payment…..have a good journey"

Uo tucked the parcel into the inner pocket of her cloak and lifted the money-sack from the table. Quickly she checked the contents, before nodding to the other two girls to get up and follow her.

Tohru glanced back at the table as she walked out the door. The man was still sat at the table, when he saw Tohru watching him he raised his glass in her direction and gave her a brief smile.

"Tohru?…."

She snapped her head around at the sound of her name. Uo put a hand on her arm and lead the two girls further away from the marketplace.

"I think it's time to get out of here…..after all we have a job to do"

Yuki walked slowly through the marketplace, his head swung from side to side as he tried to find the girl his rats had described to him so clearly.

"Yuki…."

The sound of his name spoken by a familiar voice had him spinning around in shock. He stared as the taller man walked towards him out of the shelter of one of the arched alleyways.

"She isn't here anymore……HIS men are looking for her, so it's safer for her to be on the move"

"Do you know where she went?"

"Of course….I gave her and her new friends directions….they're currently heading towards Ayame's….after all who would think to look for her there…..you should be able to catch up to her fairly quickly"

"Thank-you"

"It's my pleasure…..after all the outcome matters to me as well…..you should hurry"

Yuki nodded and turned in the direction that the taller man was pointing in. Throwing a smile and a wave over his shoulder he rushed away, effortlessly dodging the crowds.

Hatori Sohma watched as his young cousin disappeared. Sighing under his breath he turned and walked away into the crowds. More then anything he hoped that Yuki was successful, it was more then time for the Sohma clan to undergo a change and step back into the light.


End file.
